Battle of Heraclea 280 BC scenario - deployment and forces (update) and some background

Introduction

A update to a my post in 2011 detailing the Battle of Heraclea scenario. The aim is to continue (ok, it has been awhile, may restart is a better term) replaying it with different rules.

Background

I started this blog in April 2010 to compare different rules using the same battle.  I used seven rules replaying Callinicum. One year later I set out my deployment for Heraclea and played about 12 more rulesets over the next couple of years with that battle.  I did think about doing another battle – Zama and Bibracte got a look in but both just did not inspire me.  I have always meant to choose another battle an replay it with some more rulesets.  I chose Sentinum back in 2017 but it languished for ages as I did not see to have the motivation to try out new rules.  I may post my deployment one day but it is still a possibility to use for replaying.

I did get my ancients fix by playtesting my own rules, either by replaying historical battles or just playing historical matchups.

Back in late 2024 did a replay of Megiddo with a couple of rules.  I really love Megiddo and have played it at least a dozen times.  But I got sidetracked into Dominion of the Spear and redoing my own rules and Megiddo just did not seem capture my interest enough to replay with new rules.

I recently came across some rules – Pilums and Peltasts - from Gauntlet #12 magazine and thought they looked interesting.  And then I seemed to remember that Gauntlet was in the MagWeb repository.  I searched my rules and found I had downloaded the rules from MagWeb, and also created a better formatted Word document for the rules in 2015.  I then realised it was about 12 years since I did a replay with different rulesets (I have occasionally played FTF with some ancient rules in those 12 years).  This is too long! I really thought it was 5-6 years ago.  And then also forgetting about rules I wanted to use as well.  I need to get back to it and select a battle to use.

So I did some looking at battles I had played, there were a few good contenders.  And I chose…Heraclea.  Partly as I never really go sick of replaying Heraclea but also I found it was a good test of rules

But slightly different.  I came across a few articles recently about potential army deployments for Heraclea and compared it to the one I generally use.  One issue I always had is that the Pyrrhus’ left flank and Roman right were the same – one light infantry and light cavalry.  This meant they were evenly matched and nothing every happened. Rereading I saw that a possible more historical deployment may not have this issue. For force composition I used these:

Ancient Warfare article

A Lost Battles replay

A WAB scenario

I then used the Peter Sides scenario that I did not really follow last time to create the following forces and deployment suitable for a 2’x2’ table to replay with different rulesets.

Forces

Epirot bases

3 Pike (Phalangites)

1 Hoplites, poor (Tarantine hoplites)

1 Light infantry, archers (mainly skirmishers with bow and slings)

1 Heavy Cavalry or Elite Medium Cavalry (plus Pyrrhus) Agema with thrusting spear, shield;  Heavy Cavalry due to heavy armour

1 Medium Cavalry (Thessalian), shield, spear, javelins

1 Light Cavalry, spear, javelins, shield (Tarantine)

1 Elephant (Indian) with skirmisher support

I am tempted to make one of the Pike bases into elite pikes to represent the 3000 Hypaspists but the numbers are about seventh of the actual number of phalangites (3000 out of 21,000).  If I was playing with more forces I would definitely add in a based of elite pikes.

Rome

2 Heavy Infantry, representing 4 legions.  Represent as legions, maybe swordsmen. (plus Lavinus)

2 Heavy Infantry, represent 4 Allied legions.  Probably represent as Spearmen.

1 Medium Infantry, javelins (Bruttians)

1 Light Infantry, javelins (Apulians)

4 Medium Cavalry (1 Roman, 2 Allied, 1 Southern Italy), shield, spear, javelins.

Deployment

For a 2'x2' table:

Deployment, Pyrrhus at the top, Romans at the bottom.

I mostly followed Peter Sides, although the Roman cavalry is evenly split (possibly it should not be with more on the Allied side of the line), and there is a medium cavalry unit on Pyrrhus’s left flank.

I do wonder if the light and medium infantry on the Roman left flank is going to skew the game a little but I can always tweak that if it seems like it will be a problem.

 The Epirot have a slightly stronger right flank (taking into account the Elephant) and weaker left flank.  Also they are stronger in the centre battleline.  While in my old deployment Pyrrhus would rush with his Agema and elephants into the poorer Roman cavalry, this may no longer be the best option and maybe try and pin and win the centre, hold his left and hope to overcome the right flank.  Hoping this deployment leads to more interesting tactical choices.  

Postscript

I hope to start the first battle in the next few weeks.  I may peter out after one battle but we shall see.